hip-hop in the classroom

Flocabulary was created for many reasons - but none more significant than the urgent need to get students more motivated to learn. They say that "a motivated student is a successful student," and we couldn't agree more. Music and culturally relevant connections (e.g. Hip-Hop) are but one of countless ways to engage students, and motivate them to try hard and care about their education. Here's an illuminating article from Newsweek that speaks to the issue of motivation. Whatever we're doing as educators, we need to never neglect the inspiration, compassion and investment it takes to get our student excited about…

Shelby Oates from Summerour Middle School (just outside of Atlanta, GA) is an educator with a never-ending supply of tricks up her sleeve - to motivate students, engage them in learning, and help them achieve to their highest potential. Check out some ideas she recently submitted for use with Flocabulary's Word Up Project program! ------------------------- "I have begun to use the program! My kids were excited just from the mention of the name! We have deemed our Friday's, "Flocabulary Friday" and though sometimes we have to miss a week due to other deadlines, it has become such a reward for…

Meet Craig Campbell and his students, at PS/IS 150 in Brownsville, NY. Mr. Campbell and his students created the "School of Rap," using Flocabulary as inspiration for their own brand of Hip-Hop in the Classroom. Check out the pics, and listen to a song the class recorded below. Dare I say, the production is truly ahead of its time and the rhymes just get stuck in your head. We've been singing it at Flocabulary for days! Craig Campbell got in touch with us with an amazing story of turning "disinterested rebels" into "engaged students" with Flocabulary programs (in his case,…

Joe Ocando was teaching middle school in Washington Heights NYC as part of the Teach For America program when he thought of starting Rhyme n' Learn. Inspired by Flocabulary, and "particularly concerned with the low numbers of US citizens in graduate STEM programs," Joe began creating math and science raps. Citing research results from the Teacher's College at Columbia University, Joe continues to create high-interest "edu-raps," and bolstering what more and more people already know: hip-hop in the classroom works!

Whoa - we just got word of a school putting out one extraordinary academics-based rap music video after another! The 6th graders at Lew Wallace Elementary in Indianapolis, IN, have been busy this past year, creating songs and videos that cover everything from atomic structure to the dangers of drug use. Check out the "Bacteria Rap" or a great track about "Animal Relationships" Flocabulary commends these students and their teacher, Damon E. Jennings, for their work. All of the videos (available on Mr. Jennings' YouTube channel) are great, and serve as examples of the possibilities for using Hip-Hop as a…